ISRAELI military have reportedly detained Greta Thunberg after boarding her Gaza-bound vessel.
Members of the Global Sumud Flotilla said army personnel jumped onboard and “illegally intercepted” their journey just hours after they were circled by a warship.
Greta Thunberg and a crew member flash victory signs from their ship[/caption]
Greta and fellow activists on a ship on its way to Gaza[/caption]
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said on X that “several vessels of the Hamas-Sumud flotilla have been safely stopped and their passengers are being transferred to an Israeli port.”
No evidence was provided for the ship’s connection to Hamas.
This ministry also shared a video showing the Swedish campaigner being escorted off the ship.
The post added: “Greta and her friends are safe and healthy.”
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, said the activists aboard the flotilla will be deported once the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur ends tomorrow.
In a statement, he said: “We will not allow any PR stunt approaching an active war zone to violate our sovereignty.
“Those who tried to enter Israeli territory illegally will be deported immediately after Yom Kippur in Israel.”
It comes as boats in the flotilla announced a state of emergency as they readied themselves for the interception.
They said in a statement: “High alert. Our vessels are being illegally intercepted.
“Cameras are offline and vessels have been boarded by military personnel. We are actively working to confirm the safety and status of all participants on board.”
Over 500 activists are onboard around 45 boats carrying aid to Gaza.
The convoy has been travelling through the Mediterranean Sea for over a month as they attempt to break Israel’s blockade of the region.
The organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla say that Israeli navy forces are using “active aggression” on their fleet trying to deliver aid to Gaza.
“Florida vessel has been deliberately rammed at sea. Yulara, Meteque and others have been targeted with water cannons,” the Global Sumud Flotilla said in a post on Telegram.
The last time activists tried to reach Gaza, they were arrested and detained in an Israeli prison.
Responding to Israel’s claims, Thiago Avila, one of the activists onboard said: “We are a peaceful, nonviolent humanitarian mission.
“Our journey is legal under international law, and any attempt to obstruct us is not.
“We carry food, aid, water filters, crutches, baby formula, to people you have been starving to death.”
Protests have erupted across Europe in response to Israel’s attack on the flotilla.
Demonstrators closed the central station in Germany’s capital Berlin, while crowds of people have taken to the streets in Athens, Rome, Istanbul and Tunis.
It comes as the UN confirmed Israel has committed “genocide” in Gaza since October 2023, with the “intent to destroy the Palestinians”.
An IPC report said: “If a ceasefire is not implemented to allow humanitarian aid to reach everyone in the Gaza Strip, and if essential food supplies and basic health, nutrition and [sanitation and water] services are not restored immediately, avoidable deaths will increase exponentially.”
The war in Gaza has killed more than 64,000 people, according to the Gaza health ministry.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators take part in a protest to condemn the interception of the vessels in Ankara, Turkey[/caption]
Pro Palestinian protesters block two entrances to the port of Genoa, Italy[/caption]
Global sumud flotilla tracker[/caption]
The flotilla announced a state of emergency[/caption]
